Conflict-motivated acts in the open letters of two former Nigerian presidents
This study investigates conflict-motivated pragmatic acts employed in the open letters exchanged by two former Nigerian
presidents (Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan). The data are analysed using Mey’s pragmatic act theory. The findings reveal that while
Obasanjo employs pragmatic acts of warning, appealing, and praising in order to counsel Jonathan, Jonathan employs pragmatic acts of
acknowledging, boasting, correcting, and reminding in order to defend himself. However, they both employ the pragmatic acts of insulting, complaining, accusing, and requesting. These acts are influenced by nationalist and anti-ethnic ideologies as well as the context of the
open letters, i.e., conflict among political leaders in Nigeria.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Background of Obasanjo and Jonathan’s open letter exchange
- 3.Theoretical framework
- 4.Data and methods
- 5.Analysis and discussion
- 5.1Pragmatic acts used by Obasanjo
- 5.1.1Warning
- 5.1.2Appealing
- 5.1.3Praising
- 5.2Pragmatic acts used by Jonathan
- 5.2.1Acknowledging
- 5.2.2Boasting
- 5.1.3Correcting
- 5.2.4Reminding
- 5.3Pragmatic acts employed by Obasanjo and Jonathan
- 5.3.1Insulting
- 5.3.2Complaining
- 5.3.2Accusing
- 5.3.3Requesting
- 6.Discussion and conclusion
- Notes
-
References
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Journal of Pragmatics 211
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